George Herbert and Early Modern Musical Culture

The first full-length study to uncover the profound impact of early modern musical culture on George Herbert's religious verse.

Simon Jackson (Author)

9781009098069, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 December 2022

282 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 1.7 cm, 0.58 kg

'(an) exemplary study' Alison Shell, Times Literary Supplement

Described by one contemporary as the 'sweet singer of The Temple', George Herbert has long been recognised as a lover of music. Nevertheless, Herbert's own participation in seventeenth-century musical culture has yet to be examined in detail. This is the first extended critical study to situate Herbert's roles as priest, poet and musician in the context of the musico-poetic activities of members of his extended family, from the song culture surrounding William Herbert and Mary Sidney to the philosophy of his eldest brother Edward Herbert of Cherbury. It examines the secular visual music of the Stuart court masque as well as the sacred songs of the church. Arguing that Herbert's reading of Augustine helped to shape his musical thought, it explores the tension between the abstract ideal of music and its practical performance to articulate the distinctive theological insights Herbert derived from the musical culture of his time.

1. Measuring Well: Ethics and Incarnational Music
2. Communities of voices: Song culture at Wilton House
3. The visual music of the masque
4. Concord and consent: The music of Lord Herbert of Cherbury
5. Double motion: Attending to church music
6. Singing the Psalms.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD], Poetry [DC], Sacred & religious music [AVGD]